Saturday, December 20, 2014

We went picking yesterday. This is a tough time to pick here on the tundra because it is cold and snowy. But we had a lead so we headed north. A couple of weeks ago we had left a brochure with a guy. He didn't have anything but that he would give it to his dad who had stuff. Well, dad called and we were off to see his stuff.

Dad was about 8o years old, He had worked for the railroad and his dad had been a superintendent for the railroad. We strolled through the house negotiated and bought a number of items. Searched the basement and bought some more. Some railroad books, 2 caboose lanterns, a couple of signal lights, a huge 1880's blue transferware platter, an Oriental rug were put on the list. We went outside to the shed and bought a few other items. Then dad said there is something in the garage that you may want to see.

In the middle of the garage on the floor sat an intact locomotive headlight complete with the three glass engine number plaques. Apparently he wasn't going to show us the headlight unless we passed the earlier tests in the house and shed. Well we passed.

The headlight was from a steam locomotive. It was a Mallet Yellowstone Locomotive built by Baldwin for the Duluth, Missabi & Iron Range Railway in 1943. It was one of 8 Yellowstones that were the largest steam locomotives at that time and used to haul war essential iron ore from the iron ranges to Duluth and shipment to Pittsburgh.

We have never seen a fully dressed locomotive headlamp that was for sale. We negotiated, we bargained, we feinted and we joked. We bought the headlamp. It is the coolest thing that we've found in the 2 years that I've been picking.

After the sale dad called one of his friends. We visited Don and filled the truck with the picks from his garage. We also made a date to visit again after New Years to scour more stuff from Don's stash.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Our monthly 4 day event at Second Hand Rose in Buffalo, Minnesota will start next Thursday. As is my wont I finished getting my space filled and all the exceptional junk priced today at the last possible minute. I have my usual eclectic mish-mash of real antiques, homemade lamps and quirky "where and why" pieces. A few photos of my space panning from east to west follow.

On the eastern edge is the curved galvanized metal cover from a large hog feeder, with skis, oak buffet parts and a rusty barbwire wreath. Two big hanks of rope are at its feet.

The back wall include a homemade, folk art style, cupboard, and Al Mohler painting, 1940's duck prints and my homemade industrial style lamp on a small table.

A super 1914 plat map for an area on North Minneapolis sits next to an orange metal parts bin.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Well its occasional sale time in Buffalo, Minnesota. I completed my monthly task of getting my ten pounds of hogs into my five pound space. I took a different tack this time and I have upholstered pieces and lots of color.

Starting on the East side of my space with an antique washbowl stand on top of a small size buffet.

A small yellow settee sits on a big orange coffee table and next to antique oak center table that was painted a fashionable green 75 years ago. The oil painting over the table adds chunks of color.

George sits above a pair of Victorian Eastlake upholstered chair that are on a giant library table with two huge drawers.

Under the library table is an antique oak console table that has been reduced to coffee table height and a colorfully striped stool.

Another green painted antique table, coffee table and airplane prop.

A great big nut is in the center of the stretcher, with tons of framed items to sort through.

The chart is a colorful periodic table of elements printed on metal.

The panoramic view of my space.

Here hoping for a good sale. With our four days per month sales format we have only a small window to make our sales work.

Monday, September 15, 2014

My penchant for attending an auction and buying the heaviest thing that isn't a tractor has been transferred to the online auction world. I bought this fabulous 3 drawer library table online tonight. It is massive, approximately 7 feet long by 3 1/2 feet wide with five massive fluted legs. I have to pick it up and haul it home in the next couple of days.

Mr. Flannery

Update: I picked it up at the online auction site yesterday. It is BIGGER than I thought. It is 8 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. It is solid mahogany and each of the 5 legs must weigh 30 pounds. It would not fit through the doorways assembled, so I had to take it apart. That's OK because the auction people will not help you load and I was by myself. After a great deal of huffing and puffing and restings and sitting I got the pieces into my truck. This process finalize my plans for the piece.

It was going to rain and I could not unload this beast into my house by myself. I called Jami at Gypsy Lea's and asked her if she could take it at her shop. That worked, so I headed to Sauk Rapids. Luckily it was a one doorway path to installation and Jami really helped a lot with the lifting and tugging. It looks great but I have some cleaning and polishing to do before it will be ready for sale.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

We went picking today. It was interesting because we had the truck filled before noon. First we stopped at a recycler. I bought the stand for a yard windmill. Kris wraps these in small X-mas lights and sells them in November and December. Chris, my fellow picker, brought a metal shipping casket. We figure that will do well in October. We dropped the windmill off at my parked truck and proceeded to freelance. Ultimately we found an old farm. The owner didn't have anything, then he was going to send me the neighbor to look at a plane collection. As we were driving off we spotted an old work bench and a metal sign in the garage. I went back to the house and the dealing was on.

The bench was a wonderful old carpenters bench from the turn of the 20th century. And it was gigantic. Over 8 1/2 feet long and two different screw vices. It was piled with 30-40 years of stuff. I dug it out and Chris and I finally separated the top from the base and grunted it into the truck. It hung out of the truck by a couple of feet. We then attacked the base. Along with the casket, it completely filled the truck. We strapped an old Schwin on top and we were done. I was completely exhausted and covered with sweat, dust and crap. It was a good day.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Its the first Thursday in June and the monthly sale at Second Hand Rose is just about ready. I finished setting and pricing in my space today. In typical Hogs and Roses fashion I have 20 pounds of pieces stuffed into my 10 pound space. I'm very pleased with the stuff that I have. My biggest concern is the weight limit for the 130 year old floor in our portion of the shop.

I assembled this table from the base for an industrial meat grinder with a massive cast iron floor grate as a top. I especially like the casting "THE BUFFALO" in the base.

There's a large pine bar with an attached wooden prop and a cast iron fireplace surround leaning to the front. The red linoleum topped table includes 2 matching chairs.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

I spent the Memorial Day weekend in Brainerd, Minnesota set up at the Northern Pacific Shops as part of the Olde Depot Junktion show. (My space was rented to Hogs and Roses). The weather was beautiful, which may have adversely impacted sales. I stayed at my house and made the 90 mile trip each day.

I started early last week filling the trailers and truck with junk for the show. I filled my open trailer, my enclosed trailer and the trailer that I borrowed from my neighbor. I made two round trips on Thursday with the open trailers and decided that there was no room for the better stuff in my enclosed trailer.

The truck bed is almost loaded for the first trip north.

My space was moved this year and was now immediately inside the entrance.

The Nutting Truck Co. warehouse cart sold on Saturday. The turtle shells in the buckets did not.

The 1950's TAXI light is one of my favorite pieces.

I had the highest space in the place with chairs in the windows.

The cast iron book press and the cast iron meat grinder are some of my "heavies".

I especially like the moose antlers above the bar.

Two jack stand lamps that I put together just before the show.

The prop on the ladder bridge above the signs was pretty special.

Another industrial light that I assembled.

Lions and gears and grills - oh my!

Everything was packed high and tight for the trip home

The show had three times as many dealers this year over last so the competition was stiff. There are a lot of talented people out there. And the weather was fabulous. It was the first summer like weekend of the season. I am sure that many denizens of the Brainerd area decided to take their first boat outting over going to a show inside in the city. My sales were good on Saturday but slow on Sunday. Two of the boys that worked for the show stayed to help me load a trailer and one half's worth of stuff unto my trailer, they were greatly appreciated. I had a good time and I will do the show again next year.

I’m a guy who has somehow fallen into the shabby world. A shabby chic world of shabotaged furniture and foo foo accessories. My stuff tends to be outside of the cottage without much chic, shabby or otherwise. My things are the hogs in this world of roses. Thus the title: Hogs and Roses. (Please look at my 1st post "Why Hogs and Roses?")

This is Mr. Flannery

I want to be Henny Youngman, when I grow up. Take my wife -- please!
I enjoyed 7 years of marital bliss (17 years of marriage). I have been divorced forever. Love my role as curmudgeon, comedian, sage and advisor.